Capital Murder Charge Filed in High-Profile Death of Girl, 7

Jazmine Barnes was killed while in a car with her mother, siblings
By Kate Seamons,  Newser Staff
Posted Jan 6, 2019 6:20 AM CST
An Arrest in High-Profile Shooting Death of 7-Year-Old
People attend a community rally outside a Walmart on East Sam Houston Pkwy N in Houston on Saturday, Jan. 5, 2019 for 7-year-old Jazmine Barnes, who was killed on Sunday. Jazmine was shot to death nearby while riding in a car with her mother and three sisters.   (Melissa Phillip/Houston Chronicle via AP)

A capital murder charge has been filed in the high-profile shooting death of Jazmine Barnes, Texas officials announced early Sunday. Eric Black Jr. has been charged in the 7-year-old's death, which the Harris County Sheriff's Office believes was a case of mistaken identity, the Houston Chronicle reports. "All evidence gathered so far in the Jazmine Barnes Homicide case supports investigators' strong belief that she and her family were innocent victims," reads a tweet from the sheriff's office. Jazmine was shot in the head on Dec. 30 while riding in the back seat of her mom's car.

Investigators announced the case had "taken a new direction" shortly before revealing Black had been charged, reports the AP. Though police initially searched for a white man with blue eyes, a description given by Jazmine's sister, Black is a 20-year-old African-American man. A tip reportedly led police to him, and they say he has confessed to playing a part in the shooting, reports the New York Times. The Harris County Sheriff's Office said charges could hit a second suspect and didn't specify whether Black was allegedly the one who pulled the trigger. A press conference will be held at 2pm Sunday. (An NFL star has donated money to Jazmine's family.)

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